Swoosh! Swoosh! Per-Erik Ronnestrand is teaching China’s athletes how to dominate on the slopes

Three years ago, Per-Erik "Peken" Ronnestrand could never have imagined where he'd be today. As the coach of the Swedish national cross-country ski team at that time, the Swedish native knew little about China, and less about China's ski scene – for good reason. Back then, skiing in China was still in its incipient state, and the Chinese cross-country ski team that Ronnestrand currently coaches had not even been formed. Now, as the team aims to score big in the upcoming Vasaloppet China competition, Ronnestrand looks back on the team's whirlwind development with wonder. "They've come so far in a few years," Ronnestrand says of the team. "I think in the next few years they will be in the top 10 in the world." With China looking to develop its competitive sports through the skills of foreign coaches, Ronnestrand was brought in two years ago to make a top-rate team out of the raw talent discovered in China's icier areas, particularly Changchun and Harbin. He knew that this was no easy task, but Ronnestrand, who has been skiing most of his life and coached privately before his gig with the Swedish team, was up for the challenge. Growing up in a small Swedish village, skiing was a natural part of life for Ronnestrand, who first hit the slopes at the age of five. It was also in his childhood that Ronnestrand's sister gave him the lifelong nickname "Peken," a name which came from a mispronunciation of Ronnestrand's given name, that somewhat ironically bears a similarity to the Swedish word for "Beijing." With his future fated from that early date, Ronnestrand went on to ski professionally and then worked as a trainer before getting his gig coaching the Swedish national team. Somewhere along the way, Ronnestrand also started a family with his wife Ingela, raising his two children Tor and Bjorn, now four and one, not far from where he grew up. Ronnestrand knew that coaching the Chinese team would be a big readjustment, the biggest professional challenge he had taken on yet. Part of this challenge was training not only athletes, Ronnestrand would discover, but also the Chinese coaches. "They ask a lot of questions, and they are very eager to learn," says Ronnestrand, praising his fellow coaches. He admits though, that "it's new for them also. They need to be taught everything, all the way down to how to wax skis" Compared with Sweden, where athletes train and compete professionally for years before they join the national team, the Chinese skiers reach Ronnestrand in a relatively untrained state, giving him the opportunity to define and sharpen their skills himself. While this can mean more work for Ronnestrand, it also means "they listen, and are very receptive to my coaching." The Chinese skiers' inexperience also makes their rising success all the more impressive, and is a tribute to the skills and hard work of their coach. The team has spent the past two winters competing in various ski events throughout Europe, so Vasaloppet China will serve as a brief trip home for the athletes until summer training in Changchun and Dalian. Starting December 30th, the competition, a five-year-old Norwegian import, brings over 10,000 ski enthusiasts to Jingyuetan National Park in Changchun for top-grade competition, as well as winter festivities and lessons for novice Chinese skiers. Ronnestrand expects a good showing, especially from favorites Li Geliang, who took third in last year's men's competition, and Li Hongxue, a three-time women's champion. Last year's Vasaloppet China marked Ronnestrand's first visit to the country, an experience the coach had been looking forward to. Ronnestrand, whose home country has a smaller population than the city of Beijing alone, was understandably impressed with the number of people he saw. "People are everywhere," he says. "Compared with Sweden, where the population isn't so big, it's amazing." Ronnestrand was even more amused watching the novice Chinese skiers at last year's Vasaloppet China, particularly their lack of proper skiing gear. "They were out there without hats and without gloves when it's minus 20 degrees," he recalls. "In jeans." Despite the attire faux pas, Ronnestrand thinks that while the sport isn't very big yet in China, it will continue to expand, and he hopes to continue to be a part of this growth in future years. "My contract only runs through this year," Ronnestrand explains, "but I hope I can work with the team next year, because I think they'll make a great team."

The Details

Meet Per-Erik Ronnestrand and the rest of the Scandinavian gang at the Vasaloppet China competition at the Jingyuetan National Park in Changchun on December 30th. All levels of skiers are welcome. Check Vasaloppet for details.